Yes, you could be fined and receive three penalty points if the police believe loud music is distracting you.
As leasing and car subscription experts, we know there’s nothing better than listening to music while you’re on the move – especially on a long journey, when the sound of your favourite tunes can help pass the time and make the trip feel a little less dull.
However, while it’s perfectly legal to listen to music while driving, cranking up the volume too high might land you in trouble with the law.
What’s the penalty for driving with music too loud?
If you’re caught listening to music that’s too loud, you could be issued with a £100 fine and three penalty points. But why? What’s so bad about enjoying your favourite songs turned up to the max while out on the road?
It seems listening to loud music in your vehicle can be a punishable offence, even though police officers have no specific power to pull over a driver for that reason alone. However, if they believe the loud music is distracting you, they can penalise you with a fine and points on your licence.
And if you play loud music in your vehicle while parked, local authorities can issue a noise abatement notice – particularly if the sound is disturbing neighbours.
If a driver ignores a police officer’s warning to turn down the volume, their vehicle could even be seized.
Listening to music too loud can negatively impact your driving
“Listening to some music can be good – even beneficial and calming – but listening to loud music in your car can be incredibly distracting. Some people need to turn it off when concentrating on a manoeuvre such as parking,” said Rebecca Ashton, Head of Driver Behaviour at IAM RoadSmart.
Listening to excessively loud music while driving could stop you from hearing important sounds around you. Even hearing a song on the radio that you don’t particularly like can cause stress and have a negative impact on your focus.
“The main thing to remember is that the human brain can only truly concentrate on one thing at a time, and listening to very loud music can be distracting,” added Rebecca.
Could short-term car leasing be for you?
At Flexed, we offer flexible and affordable short-term car leasing to customers across the UK – making it as simple as possible for you to drive a car you love.
Whether you’re after a premium SUV or an electric vehicle, we have great deals on some of the latest models. And with insurance, breakdown cover and so much more included, you may as well forget about traditional ownership.
Explore our huge range of offers, or get in touch today to find out whether business or personal short-term leasing is right for you.
